It’s that time again when all of us start searching for recipes for holi. Traditionally, Holi is celebrated to mark the end of winter and usher in spring. This is the time when fields are full of crops and farmers are looking forward to a good harvest. This festival is thus a celebration of spring, of hope, a promise of good times ahead. Any celebration is incomplete without food. I have picked 10 recipes from the blog for Holi.
List of Holi Recipes
Some Holi recipes picked for this post are the usual suspects like Thandai and Dahi Bhalla. Some snacks like naturally-colored puris and rava idli are picked keeping in mind the color theme of the Holi festival. While some sweets, like Tender Coconut Phirni and Pasta Kheer, are a hatke choice…a deviation from the deep-fried Gujiyas and Malpuas as Holi sweets.
Thandai
Other than bhaang, Thandai must be the most popular Holi drink. This is also a reason why it has made it to the top of our list of recipes for holi. It is a coolant, a refreshing summer drink, which is just perfect for this season. Make thandai the previous night and serve it to your family and friends on the day of Holi. You can view the thandai recipe here.
Masala Chaas
Chaas is less labour-intensive than thandai but is just as cool and refreshing. Mint and coriander flavoured masala chaas is great option to keep our body hydrated on a hot summer day. Click here to view masala chaas/buttermilk recipe. If you don’t have much time to prepare thandai or masala chaas, you can very quickly make a very simple masala chaas using a homemade chaas masala. Buttermilk simply made with homemade masala powder and curd is any day better than a readymade drink made with added color, preservatives, and loads of sugar. You can view the recipe of chaas masala powder here.
Dahi Vada
Dahi Bhalla or Dahi Vada as it’s called in North, is pretty popular as a Holi snack. Probably because it can be eaten cold and the host or hostess doesn’t need to serve it hot. As for me, I can eat it any time of the day. All the women in my family love it. Mom, MIL, and me are die hard Dahi Vada fans. Here‘s the recipe of dahi vada without cooking soda or ENO.
Spinach and Carrot Puri
Here’s a colourful snack for the festival of colours, spinach and carrot puri. I had made these puris in green and orange colour for Independence Day. For Holi, you can experiment with many other colours. You can naturally colour these puris by adding beetroot, turmeric, Kashmiri lal mirch powder. Plenty of options to explore there. These puris taste good even when cold, so no worries about serving them hot. Enjoy them with hot chai or with a glass of cold buttermilk. The choice is yours. :) Here’s the link to coloured puri recipe.
Colorful Rava Idlis
Check out this recipe of one more colourful snack for Holi. All these colours again are by using natural ingredients only. Also, no cooking soda or ENO was used to get these yummy rava idlis….healthy, good-old-fashioned method of fermenting by sitting the batter overnight. Keep the batter and chutney ready, and then make the rava idli 15-20 minutes before it needs to be served. Click here to view the rava idli recipe.
Rava and Wheat Flour Mathri
If you want to opt for namkeen snacks that you can make ahead of time then these no-maida, rava and wheat flour mathris are a great option. These crispy, salted crackers are just great to bond with your guests over a hot cup of chai. You can make them in various shapes to make it appealing to toddlers and kids. Click here to view the rava and wheat flour mathri recipe.
Namak Pare
This one is another no-maida, dry, namkeen snacks option that can be made ahead of time. Like mathris, these namak pare too taste great with chai. Click here to view the namak pare recipe. You can also try homemade, no-maida, naturally-colored nachos if you’re open to some non-traditional dry snacks. You can view the colored nachos recipe here.
Tender Coconut Phirni
Coming to the sweets options, traditionally sweets like Gujiyas and malpuas are quite popular for Holi. But if you want to try some non-fried and different options then you should give this tender cocount phirni a try. Serve it chilled and get complimented by your guests. You can view the tender coconut phirni recipe here.
Pasta Payasam Recipie
Coming to the sweets options, traditionally sweets like Gujiyas and malpuas are quite popular for Holi. But if you want to try some non-fried and different options then you should give this tender cocount phirni a try. Serve it chilled and get complimented by your guests. You can view the tender coconut phirni recipe here.
Chocolate Banana Smoothi and Icecream
Finally, the last pick of Holi recipes is not an Indian sweet but a no-sugar dessert. You can make it in a smoothie or ice cream form. It’s totally up to you. Just serve it chilled and it’ll help you beat the summer heat. You can view the chocolate banana ice cream / smoothie recipe here.Wishing you all have a fun and safe Holi. Hope we all use water prudently, stay away from toxic, chemical colors, and use natural colors. :)Stay in touch with us. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. And, follow us on Facebook.
